shadows

Question 1

choreographer of shadows

Answer 1

christopher bruce

Question 2

company of shadows

Answer 2

phoenix dance theatre

Question 3

date of first performance of shadows

Answer 3

26th november 2014

Question 4

dance style of shadows

Answer 4

neo-classical

Question 5

choreographic approach of shadows

Answer 5

Bruce does not prepare movement before entering the studio, preferring to wait and work with the dancers so that he can be influenced by them. For Bruce, as well as being appropriate to the piece, the movement must also sit well on the dancers

Question 6

stimulus of shadows

Answer 6

•Arvo Part’s Fratres for violin and piano was the starting point for the work
•family dynamics- relationships between family members
•unseen but ever-present outside force

Question 7

choreographic intention of shadows

Answer 7

a small family, possibly set in Eastern Europe coming to terms with:
•deprivation
•poverty
•the realities of what lies outside their intimate family home
(the dance allows the audience to apply their own context to the material danced on stage)

Question 8

dancers in shadows

Answer 8

4 dancers (2 male, 2 female)

Question 9

duration of shadows

Answer 9

12 minutes

Question 10

structure of shadows

Answer 10

•semi-narrative
•solo, duet, trio, quartet

Question 11

aural setting in shadows

Answer 11

• avro part’s fratres (version for violin and piano recorded for performance)
•uses broken cords and diatonic scales

Question 12

costume in shadows

Answer 12

•the era of the 1930s -1940s:
•simple shirts, skirts, trousers and dresses as well as large overcoats worn at the very end of the piece.
•Colors are muted and worn down - again symbolising deprivation and poverty.
•It is clear that these jackets are oversized for the son/daughter, again referencing to the fact that the family are living in poverty(end)

Question 13

lighting in shadows

Answer 13

uses the lighting to create an intimate space on stage depicting the feeling of ‘a room’, as well as to indicate what is waiting for the family outside that they are so reluctant to step into

Question 14

performance environment

Answer 14

end stage

Question 15

staging/set in shadows

Answer 15

•minimal set within a black-box
•includes a table, a bench, two stools, a coat stand and suitcases – all worn-looking (confirming the notion of hardship within the family)
•The space created allows the audience to enter the heart of the home, the kitchen ( where relationships between the family members unfolds)